All Fall Down
by NatureGirl202
Summary: Something's going down and the batfamily has somehow gotten sucked up into the middle of it. But with some of the others missing, will Dick be able to figure it out? Will this be the bats' final stand? After all, everyone falls down eventually...
1. Brutal Awakening

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a totally canon story with no OCs what-so-ever (except for the villian, perhaps, but that doesn't count too much). So, it's safe to say that I'm nervous as heck. xP Oh, and if any of you happen to also be reading my Young Justice fanfic, don't worry, I'm still working on that one. I just had more time to write this 'cause I'm actually handwriting it. ^^**

Ch. 1: Brutal Awakening

_Ring!_

A groan escaped Dick as he was stirred awake by the shrill sound of his apartment phone. He opened his eyes groggily and looked at his bedside clock. It was three-thirty in the morning, which meant he had gone to bed about ten minutes ago. It also meant that he had to be up for work in about two hours.

_Greeaat._

The phone rang once more and he decided that if it rang more than three times, it was probably important enough.

It was the fifth phone call of the night. If it wasn't the League, wanting him to go to the far off reaches of space, it was the office, wanting him to work an extra shift. Why'd he have to be so awesome?

Dick grudgingly dragged his butt out of bed when the phone rang for the fourth time.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming" he informed the inanimate object as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He picked up the phone mid-ring.

"Y'ello?"

"Took you long enough to answer, Mr. Former Boy Wonder."

Dick blinked as he became more awake at the sound of the familiar voice. "Babs?"

"Brilliant guess, Tights." Why did people always feel the need to give him various nicknames?

"What do you want?"

"Nice talking to you, too."

Dick rolled his eyes, his lips twitching as he fought back a grin. "You're awfully snarky this morning."

He heard a tired sigh on the other end. "Sorry, I've been up for the last couple hours and I'm tired as hell."

Dick held back a comment about his own current exhaustion. "So, why are you calling me at this ungodly hour?"

"Have you heard from Bruce?"

Dick blinked and paused mid-yawn. "Not recently, why?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of him, but I can't seem to get through."

"Alfred?"

"Hasn't heard from him since he and Damian left for patrol."

"Damian?"

"Isn't answering." Shocker.

"Tim?"

"Also not answering." Now that one was surprising.

"Is anyone answering?"

"Yeah, everyone else I called did, but they hadn't heard from them either."

"Even the League?"

"Even the League."

Dick hesitated slightly before his next suggestion. "Did you try Jason?"

There was a brief pause on Barbara's side. "Well, no. Does he even have a communicator? Let alone a _phone_?"

"You'll figure out a way. There's nothing the great Oracle can't do" he said, managing to grin slightly through the worry invading his gut. He could practically see her rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, well, keep in touch. Last thing I need right now is _you_ disappearing off the face of the Earth. I'm already starting to get a bad feeling about this."

Dick nodded, becoming serious. "Don't worry, I'm on it."

"You need sleep."

"Sleep is overrated."

"Now you sound like Bruce."

Dick rolled his eyes good-naturedly, before saying good-bye and hanging up. He forced his brain awake and quickly changed into costume. He slipped on his mask and was just about to climb out the window when his apartment exploded.

Well, wasn't that nice?

The blow originated from the area where his window was and the force knocked him clear across the room. He crashed through his front door and tumbled into the hallway. He blinked, snapping himself out of the shock, and stood up. He tensed and waited, wondering if the explosion was just some psycho's idea of a dramatic entrance. After a moment, nothing happened.

Then all hell broke loose.

The whole ordeal had taken probably about a second. It was enough time for the neighbors and other residents of the building to finally register the large _boom_ and how violently the building had shaken. This, of course, caused everyone to go streaking out of their apartments, tripping over each other as they scrambled for the stairs. This was New York, and 9/11 was still fresh in everyone's minds. Nightwing _was_ slightly glad, however, that the panic prevented anyone from questioning his presence. As a matter of fact, they barely seemed to notice him as he was shoved to the side. Nightwing had the urge to cock an eyebrow.

_Help save the world multiple times, and this is the thanks I get?_

He went against the flow of traffic toward the stairs that led to the roof. When he reached them, he took them three at a time. He smirked.

_Well, at least they cleared the way for me. Thanks, mass hysteria._

He reached the roof and the cool night breeze ruffled his hair. He could hear the sirens down below as they reached the building.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shoot toward him and he swung his sore body around just in time to avoid it. As he turned, his eyes scanned over it. It was a folded piece of paper with his name, er, codename printed on it. He took a chance and caught it. When it didn't explode, or release any type of gas, he cautiously opened it. The words were printed and not written by hand. In clear, black letters it read:

You may have gotten away, but resistance is futile.

His blue eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Resistance is futile?" Was this _another_ alien invasion? Nightwing quickly tapped the communicator in his ear.

"Oracle, you there?"

Nothing but static. Nightwing's heart thudded. He wished he could tell exactly which side was malfunctioning.

His wish was granted a moment later when his communicator elicited a long, shrill sound. He cringed and yanked the device from his ear. The sound was loud enough for him to hear even when it was out of his ear. He waited a moment for it to stop, but it didn't. He sighed, knowing this was going to come back to haunt him, and dropped the communicator onto the ground. He promptly stepped on it, effectively silencing the device.

"Alright," he said aloud to the night sky, "time to think."

He took out his grappling hook and shot it out toward one of the taller buildings, before swinging over the streets.

_Bruce, Tim, and Damian all aren't answering their communicators_, he thought, _and someone just attempted to blow me up. Something's obviously going down, and it seems that us Bats have gotten caught up in the middle somehow._

He stopped on top of a tall office building his gaze pointed in a direction he knew well. He could almost see the signal lighting up the sky. _If that's the case, then any of the others could be in danger_.

The wind picked up and ruffled his hair as he narrowed his eyes beneath his mask. _Next stop, Gotham._

**A/N: Somehow these always end up shorter than I want. :/ Oh well. Anyways, so, I will admit that I haven't really read any of the comics 'cause my budget isn't the most flexible. xP But I have researched them like a maniac (thank God for wikipedia). So, any advice to help with the characterization will be welcomed. ^^ Constructive criticism about the story in general will also be welcomed, but not flames. If you have something to say, I'm sure there's a nice, polite way to say it. Like I always say, it never hurts to ad a smiley face. :) Hope you enjoyed. Review please! :D**


	2. Declaration of War

**Disclaimer: I always forget a disclaimer in my first chapters. Anywho, I own nothing. Everything belongs to the people at DC. Except the plot. But it's probably safer to say I own nothing, so I'll just say that. xP Please don't sue. It wouldn't be worth your time. ^^"**

**A/N: Ok, so, batman-defeats-all brought up a good point in their review of the last chapter. I'll just tell you what I told him/her xP. I am ignoring certain aspects of the reboot. Dick isn't traveling with the circus- 'cause that just works better with my story -and Barbara is still Oracle while Stephanie is Batgirl. One reason is that I adore Stephanie as Batgirl, but the main reasoning is that I believe Barbara should've stayed as Oracle. I think the superhero community really benefited highly from what she did and it also proved that anyone could be a hero. I liked how she never gave up, despite such a crippling injury. There are other aspects I _am _keeping, though, which you'll probably see as we go along. ^^ There's probably more, but right now I can't think of any. xP**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited, and alerted. You guys are awesome!~**

Ch. 2: Declaration of War

Barbara cursed quietly as she once again tried to locate Nightwing's signal. She had lost it about an hour ago. Thirty minutes after that, the news had reported that his apartment had exploded around the same time she had lost the signal. They hadn't released Dick's name, but she recognized the address.

She jumped slightly when something tapped against her window. She looked over and saw Nightwing grinning cheekily at her. She let out a sigh as relief calmed her nerves, before fixing a glare at the young man. It was a good thing he was alive, because she was going to kill him.

"Where the hell have you been?" she demanded as she opened the window. He just winked at her as she climbed in. "I lost your signal about an hour ago and now I'm hearing on the news about how they're looking for your remains!" It was a slight exaggeration on her part. The authorities were still trying to get confirmation on whether or not Dick had been in his apartment at the time.

"The explosion wasn't big enough to kill me," he said, a frown coming to his face. The explosion had the potential to severely injure him, but not kill him, not unless he was standing almost directly over it. So, he was either dealing with an amateur, or something more complex than he had originally thought. "And whoever did that must've messed with my communicator somehow, because it stopped working right after that."

Barbara nodded as her face became thoughtful.

"You need to warn the others," Dick continued, "this guy is probably after all of us and, somehow, he knows my ID. How else would he know I was in that apartment?"

Barbara nodded and went to do just that, but paused at his next question.

"Did you contact Jason? He could be a target too."

Barbara sighed and turned back to Nightwing. "I tried, but there's no way I could find to contact him, besides sending someone to scour the Earth for him."

"I heard he's traveling with some new team."

The disbelief on Barbara's face reflected Dick's thoughts. "That would be nice, if I knew who this supposed team was."

"C'mon, _Babs_," he teased, saying her name as he did his best impersonation of a sheep, "you can do better than that."

He abruptly dodged and caught the vase that was chucked at him.

"This is serious, Dick."

The grin vanished from his face as he set the base down. "Trust me, I know. That's why we need to find Jason. He could be in tro-"

"I think Jason is capable of taking care of himself" Barbara replied, giving him a look before turning her attention back to her computer to contact the others.

"Yeah, but-"

"He'll only be found if he wants to be found."

Nightwing sighed and massaged his temple. He decided not to reply, mostly because Barbara was now busy contacting the others. He listened as she gave the other members of the bat-clan the down low. Nightwing got to thinking. Should they contact the League? No, not yet. They had handled worse without the help of the League. Plus, he wasn't in the mood to have Bruce- that stubborn man –be irritated with him. Perhaps he should have Barbara gather the others, though. If they really were all targets, then it would be best if they were together. There was strength in numbers, as Dick knew well. But the only problem, the one that made Dick want to grind his teeth together in frustration, was the fact that they truly had no idea what they were dealing with. Nightwing was pretty sure that it wasn't a villain he had face before; they all tended to stick to their MO. For all he knew, the others weren't really "missing" and had everything under control. They could've been doing some undercover work or something.

Nightwing snorted. _Wouldn't be the first time I was left out of the loop_.

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall as he reminded himself that that was in the past and didn't matter anymore. He had changed. Hell, even Bruce had, if even just a bit.

"Oh yeah," the fact that Barbara's statement was directed at him was what brought Nightwing out of his thoughts. "You left your cell phone here after your last visit." She nodded her head at a familiar device on her desk. Nightwing raised an eyebrow as he picked it up.

"That was a month ago."

Barbara shrugged. "I've been busy."

"Not too busy for those late night phone calls I keep missing. You've been lonely lately huh?" Nightwing questioned, wiggling his eyebrows as he grinned teasingly. Barbara gave him a confused look.

"Uh, what calls?"

His brows furrowed, becoming just as confused. "Haven't you been trying to call me?"

"Uh, _no_. Were there any messages?"

"No, but I recognized your number."

"Why didn't you call back?"

"You're not the only one who's been busy."

They both became thoughtful. What the hell was going on? A possibility clicked into Barbara's mind.

"What if… what if someone managed to hack into my system?" Dick gave her o doubtful look. "I mean, my system's amazing, but it's no batcave. It's plausible that someone's been stealing information from me, right under my nose."

"Is there any way for you to check?" Nightwing questioned, brows furrowed. Oracle nodded and turned to her computer and began typing away.

"There should be, now that I know to look for a hacker."

Nightwing opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off.

_Red Robin… yuuuum._

He grinned sheepishly when Barbara turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"It's my ring tone for Tim" he explained as he tapped the answer option on his screen. "Hey, where are you? We've been-"

"Give up. Resistance is futile," the voice was cold, calculated, and emotionless. Nightwing froze.

"Where's Red Robin?" he growled. There was a click as he was hung up on. He glared at the phone, wishing he could reach through and strangle whoever had Tim. He looked away from his phone to see Barbara looking at him, face concerned.

"What was that?" she questioned, although she had a good idea. Nightwing's eyes narrowed beneath his mask.

"A challenge."

**A/N: -sigh- Another short one. Hopefully it'll get longer as it gets farther into it. Anyway, I have a question for you guys. There are a couple couples (ha ha xP ) that I'm thinking of having in here and I want to know what you guys think. It wouldn't be any hardcore romance, just some hints and stuff. Anyway, the couples I was thinking of were Tim & Stephanie and Bruce & Selina. As for Dick and Barbara, you guys can think whatever you want about the ineraction between those two. I don't really ship that couple, but I'm not going to flat out ignore it. I'm perfectly aware of the fact that about 98% of you ship that couple. xD Anyway, that's about it for now folks. If you got any questions or need any clarifications just ask. ^^ I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review please! ;D**

**P.S. If you didn't get Dick's ringtone for Tim, there's a restaurant called Red Robin and that's the chime or whatever from the commercials. xD I just thought Dick would be one to find that amusing. :P**


	3. Puzzle Piece

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I've got a lot of testing going on in school right now. :/**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited, and alerted; you guys make my day.~**

Ch. 3: Puzzle Piece

"You're sure the signal came from here?"

"Yeah, you find anything?"

"A moldy can. I think it used to contain beans, but the wrapper's kind of flaked off, so it's hard to tell." Nightwing could almost see Oracle rolling her eyes in response.

"Try to focus."

"I am" he replied, gazing around at the abandoned construction site. He absently dropped the moldy can as he walked toward the center of the site.

"Oh, and Nightwing?"

"Hm?"

"Try not to step on this communicator."

"Hardy har har. I'll do my best."

The communication was disconnected, allowing Nightwing to put his full attention to the task at hand. He doubted he would find any evidence of Red Robin here, however. If this enemy could disable his communicator and hack into Oracle's system,- something they had yet to find any proof of –then he was probably capable of rerouting the origin of a signal. Nightwing grimaced, not appreciating being sent on a wild goose chase.

He looked for the smallest detail, something that didn't belong. If Red Robin _had_ been here, then he probably would've left some clue. Of course, it was also possible that the enemy had been here with just the phone and not Tim.

Nightwing sighed and rubbed his face. He needed sleep and this whole thing was too complicated. He walked up and laid a hand down on a rusted steel pillar. Maybe it was just the usual bat paranoia getting the best of him. Maybe he was the only one with something to worry about. Maybe the disappearances of the others had nothing to do with the attack on his apartment. Maybe the only one connected to it was Tim, since the enemy had used his phone.

His communicator elicited a high-pitched beep, the same one it had earlier. Nightwing let out a curse and once again yanked it from his ear. He was about to crush it, when a possibility came to his mind.

The last time his communicator had made that noise was when that piece of paper had been shot at him. Maybe…

He leaped behind a beam to avoid a blast that was suddenly shot at him. He was under attack. He peeked around the beam to try to get an idea of what he was up against. The first thing his eyes landed on was the spot where he had previously been standing. It was now occupied by a scorched, two feet deep hole. He then looked up to see if he could get a glimpse of his opponent.

He actually wasn't all that surprised by what he saw.

A robot hovered in the air. Its shape reminded Nightwing of an egg and it had an extension on either side that he guessed were supposed to act like arms. In the middle was a circle that was slightly darker than the rest of it, probably where the blast came from. Near the top of it were two more, smaller circles, most likely the eyes.

"No use hiding. I am aware of your presence" the voice was similar to what he had heard over the phone, but not quite the same.

"Who made you?" Nightwing called. Might as well give it a shot. Silence followed his question. Figured he couldn't get stuck with a chatty robot.

"Prepare to join your colleagues."

Nightwing's eyes widened as the circle in the center of the robot began to light up. He leaped out of the way just before the blast hit the beam he had been hiding behind. He used his hands to absorb the impact of his dive. He hit the ground and transitioned into a somersault to minimize the impact further. He instantly came to a halt in a kneeling position, eyes narrowed and ready for action.

There was a loud_ creak_ and he watched as the skeleton of a building began to tilt. A second later, the structure collapsed, causing Nightwing to once again leap out of the way. A cloud of dirt and dust consumed the area. He looked around, searching to see if the robot was still there, but the cloud of dust was too thick. He'd have to wait for it to settle.

Something hard hit him in the back with a _thunk_ and he fell forward. Mid-fall, he turned around, throwing a wingding(?) at the robot. There was a _clang_ as it bounced right off the hulking piece of metal.

_Well, crap_.

The dust cleared just in time for him to dodge yet another blast from the robot. So, obviously, this method wasn't going to work out. What would then?

The robot charged at him, abruptly changing tactics. Nightwing quickly took out his escrima sticks and crossed them. The robot hit them head on, forcing him back a few feet. His body stayed stiff and rigid as he fought against the strength of the robot. He looked into its "eyes."

"What do you want?" he hissed, frustrated. Surprisingly, the robot answered him.

"Elimination of sub-group 'Batman.'"

A light below caught Nightwing's eye and he knew the robot was loading its blaster. He quickly moved his escrima sticks, causing the robot to fall forward. He put a hand on the robot and pushed off, leaping over it. Not a second later, the blast came, erupting from the robot. It was larger than the previous blasts, probably due to the fact that the robot had taken the time to charge it. The ground shook and another dust cloud formed. Nightwing tumbled to the ground. He shot to his feet and took a brief moment to inspect himself. He concluded that, besides a few bumps and bruises, all he really needed was a shower and a decent night's sleep. He looked up to where he had last seen the robot. As the dust cleared, the overgrown toaster finally came into view. It was where he left it. Sparks crackled from it. Obviously, the blast had taken a toll on the robot as well. Since it had fallen forward, its blast had hit the ground.

Nightwing decided to use the robot's current condition to his advantage. He ran forward, before leaping into the air. He slammed the ends of his escrima sticks down on the robot. His sticks hit the sutures between the metal plates that made up the outside of the robot. They penetrated, smashing down on gears and wires. A moment later, the robot shut down and fell to the ground. Nightwing took his escrima sticks out and place them back in the holders on his back. He then got off the robot and let out a breath. Ok, so, now that _that _was taken care of, he could take the robot to the cave, hop in the shower, and take a quick nap. Then-

_Beep… beep… beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beepbeepbeepbeeeeeeeep._

His eyes widened. _Uh oh…_

He jumped out of the way just before the robot exploded. He laid on the ground face-down, hands over his head, as a few pieces of shrapnel and a moldy can went flying. Once it was safe, he stood up and walked over to where the robot once was. He kicked the rubble and sighed.

_Figures. So much for trying to get some information out of the thing_.

The pieces of the robot that _were_ left were charred and black, obviously useless when it came to getting data out of them. He sighed and picked up a piece anyway. Maybe if he could find out what it was made of, it could lead him to the maker.

He took out his grappling hook and shot it out.

* * *

><p>The cave was surprisingly quiet when there was no typing or training going on. Dick yawned, having just woken up from a nap about five minutes ago. His hair held only a slight dampness from the shower he had taken half an hour before that.<p>

"Do you need anything, Master Dick?" Alfred questioned as he walked up to the young man. Dick shook his head after a moment.

"No thanks, Al. is the computer done with the analysis?"

"Yes, sir," he said as both he and Dick walked up to the screen, "It appears to have no exact match, but it does fit the plans for an experimental metal Wayne Tech is planning."

Dick raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

The old butler just nodded in response as he folded Dick's freshly cleaned costume.

Dick stared up at the large computer screen, its contents confirming what Alfred had said. So, another technology of Bruce's had been corrupted? His brows furrowed and he ran a hand through his hair before turning to Alfred.

"It doesn't make any sense. The batcomputer says they've barely begun the process, and I'm pretty sure Bruce would know if his own experiment was already finished."

Alfred gave the slightest of shrugs before turning to Dick. "Perhaps, sir, you should ask whoever happens to be in charge of the experiment."

Dick nodded. His eyes fell on the suit. "Who would get better answers? Dick Grayson or Nightwing?" He pondered the thought.

"I believe both would receive the same answers," Alfred replied, before grabbing the folded costume and handing it to Dick, "but Nightwing is more capable of asking the right questions."

Dick smiled gratefully and took the costume, before walking off to change.

**A/N:... It's called a wingding, right? Anywho, I'm probably going to stop handwriting this soon. Handwriting it in my notebook makes it seem longer than it actually is. :/ Anyways, that's it for now. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed. ^^ Again, any advice is welcomed. Review please! ;D**


	4. Shadows

**Thanks to all those who reviewed, faved, and alerted. Never stop feeling the aster.~**

Ch. 4: Shadows

Tim groaned as he regained consciousness. There was an annoying sound blaring in his ears.

"Wake up, Drake."

Oh, it was just Damian.

Tim opened his eyes and took a quick moment to assess the situation. He was on a vertical metal cross and his hands were encased in the same metal the cross was made of. The casing was so tight, he couldn't move his hands or feet. Any tighter, and it probably would've cut off his blood flow. He looked to his right to see Batman and Robin in the same position.

Robin, who was in-between the others, looked to Batman. "He is awake, Father."

"I noticed," was Batman's reply, before turning his attention to Red Robin, "How do you feel?"

Red Robin took a brief moment to assess his overall state. "A little sore, but other than that, I'm fine. How long was I out?"

"You woke up approximately five minutes after we did" Batman supplied, eyes glancing around the room for what was probably the hundredth time already.

Red Robin raised an eyebrow under his cowl. They had all been nabbed the same night? Well, someone was a busy bee. His brows furrowed as he tried to remember how he was caught. The last thing he remembered was his communicator giving out and then releasing a beep that seemed to pierce his eardrums. After that, everything went black and he woke up here.

Batman seemed to catch onto his train of thought. "Our communicators giving out is the last thing we remember."

"Yours beep too?"

"Yes."

"So, do we have any idea what we're up against here?" Red Robin questioned, gazing around the room. It was obvious that whoever had captured them was extremely technological. Computer screens filled the walls and it appeared that the entire room was made of metal.

"No" the extra growl to Batman's voice showed his displeasure.

"TT, obviously, they must be decently skilled if they were able to capture Father and me," Robin shot Red Robin a smug look, "You, on the other hand, are probably accustomed to this."

"Actually, Nightwing was the 'Boy Hostage,' not me" Red Robin snapped back. Batman shot them each a look and they dropped the subject.

"Anyway," Robin started up again, "our captor is probably as naïve as our other adversaries. They have had all this time to unmask us, but have failed to do so."

Red Robin opened his mouth to point out that not every villain wanted to know their identities, that some were simply psychotic and cared about nothing more than chaos, but was cut off as the door in the front of the room slid open.

"I have no intention of unmasking you" the voice was cold and calculated. The three heroes watched as a man stepped into the room. He wore a suit and appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His hair was short and black. His eyes were just as cold and calculated as his voice. He was also tall, about as tall as Bruce.

The three heroes instantly slipped into similar, narrow-eyed glares. The man appeared unaffected.

"What do you want?" Batman growled, cutting to the chase.

"Well, Mr. Wayne, you're certainly not as chatty as the Grayson boy. From what I hear, at least."

If Batman was surprised that the man knew their identities, he didn't show it. The man continued on.

"Speaking of which, he's a very troublesome young man to get a hold of. No doubt, you trained him to be just that. But we will eliminate him." The screens on the walls came to life, showing different scenes; Dick's apartment exploding, Dick on the roof of his apartment, and Dick fighting a robot at a construction site. "Do not doubt it." The screens then changed to show images of the other members of the batfamily. It was apparent that Bruce, Damian, and Tim were the only ones captured. "As insurance, I shall kill the rest as well. Her termination will wait, however," he gestured toward and image of Barbara, "she is still of use to me."

"I'll ask again; what do you want?" Despite the mixture of feelings invading his gut and chest, Batman was calm.

"Yeah," Red Robin stated, "what makes us so special that we haven't been 'terminated' yet?"

The man turned away from the screens to face the heroes. "You two," his eyes glanced from Batman to Red Robin, "are the only ones I need alive, but that, as well, is only temporary." His eyes landed on Damian. "The boy is here merely as an incentive."

There was a brief moment when Damian's face was actually indignant, before slipping back into a glare. It was then that a possible escape plan formed in his mind. He nearly rolled his eyes when he realized it was something Grayson would try to pull off.

"TT, you're an imbecile."

The man turned around and raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Your plan is unoriginal. And stupid."

"I have checked records. This has not occurred before."

Damian rolled his eyes. "At least _I_ have creativity. Abducting us and aiming to obliterate the rest _has_ been done before. Idiot."

"By whom?"

"Does it matter? You're just a simpleminded Neanderthal."

The man's gaze narrowed. "Be quiet."

"Make me." This was a slightly risky tactic, but it was worth a try.

The man's face became blank. "Perhaps you are the one in need of some incentive."

The door slid open and three robots floated in. They looked exactly like the one they had seen Nightwing fighting in that video moments ago.

"They will take you to the torture chambers" the man stated, as if he was closing a business deal. Robin could practically hear Nightwing; _What? No witty name?_ Fortunately, and unfortunately, Nightwing was not there.

A claw extended from one of the robots to grab Robin. The claw was less than an inch away from him when his binds opened, leaving a millisecond of time for him to react, a mistake on the enemy's part. He pushed off the metal cross and launched into the air. The claw was so close, it grazed his chest as he did so, but was unable to catch him. He landed on another robot and pushed off, flipping into the air. He pulled out a device from his utility belt- the overconfident fool had never removed it from him –and threw it at one robot. He landed on the ground and then swerved to avoid a claw shot at him by another robot. As he swerved, he glanced toward his father. Batman caught the look and its silent question.

"Go!" he commanded. It would take too long to figure out how to free them from their binds. And no doubt there were reinforcements on the way. Robin had to go and find help.

Robin gave the slightest of nods and reluctantly turned his swerve into a roll as he slipped through the door just in the nick of time.

There was a beat of silence in the room.

"That was the oldest trick in the book" Red Robin muttered, mostly to himself. Batman nodded.

The man turned to them, just as calm as ever. "It is not a problem. We can simply terminate him alongside the others. There are plenty of incentives we may still use."

The man narrowed his eyes dangerously, and the two heroes narrowed their eyes in return.

* * *

><p>Nightwing gently slid the window open, briefly wondering why anyone in Gotham would ever leave their window unlocked. He climbed into the room, purposefully making a small thud as he stepped onto the floor. It was the second story of the house. He looked around at the dark room and made an educated guess that it was a study room. He walked up to one of the plush chairs that sat around the desk. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw strands of fur sticking its fabric. The resident had a pet, most likely a cat since he hadn't heard any barking. This meant he would have to make a bit more noise to catch the resident's attention.<p>

He casually walked over to a bookshelf. He grabbed and dropped it onto the floor, causing a louder thud than the one he had made earlier. He waited a moment, met with only silence. He grabbed another book and let it fall to the ground. He allowed himself a brief smirk when he heard a door open down the hallway. He listened as someone walked slowly, probably trying to be sneaky. The person walked hard on their heels, something which might cause him issues later in life. Nightwing watched as the person, a man and the one he wanted the attention of, slowly moved his hand into the room, reaching for the light switch. Nightwing blinked once as the light was turned on. He watched in amusement as the man leaped into the room, a baseball bat clutched tightly in both hands. Nightwing raised an eyebrow as he raised both hands. The man was lucky he wasn't one of Gotham's psychos.

"I come in peace," he joked lightly, lips twitching, "you can put the sporting equipment down, Professor."

The tired scientist sighed as he recognized the young man, "Nightwing."

"Paul? What is it?" they heard a feminine voice call from down the hall. Paul sighed again.

"Nothing, Dear! Just the cat! Go back to sleep!"

There was a moment of silence as a reply was waited for, but there wasn't one. Paul turned to Nightwing. "Did Mr. Wayne send you?"

Nightwing shook his head. "No, but it may concern Mr. Wayne."

Paul's brow furrowed. "How so?"

"Someone's targeting members of Batman Incorporated. Mr. Wayne is a possible target."

Paul nodded, still appearing concerned and confused. "What do you want me for?"

"You're the scientist in charge of project LIM, right?"

He nodded. Nightwing continued. "I was attacked by a robot and I managed to collect a sample. The metal it was made of matches the plans for LIM. I need you to explain it to me."

"LIM?" When the hero nodded, Paul continued, shocked. "Living Interactive Metal. The design is supposed to have thousands of small receptors in each inch of metal. It can better interact with the environment that way."

Nightwing resisted the urge to groan. Bruce should've known better than that. "Why does Mr. Wayne want you to make this?"

Paul, still as confused as ever, ran a hand through his black hair. "Somehow he got a hold of some leaked LutherCorp files. They're delving deeper into interactive machinery. Mr. Wayne wants to be one step ahead of them."

Now that explained it. "Are you ahead?"

"Yes, Mr. Wayne has us on a busy schedule."

"Then how come the robot I just battled was made of this stuff?"

"I-I don't know."

Nightwing glanced away thoughtfully. "Maybe Luther is farther along than you thought."

Paul shook his head. "N-no, you don't understand. It will take decades for anyone to make this metal, even longer for anyone to do something with it!"

Nightwing's brow furrowed. "Then how-?" He shook his head and sighed. Of course it wasn't simple. Never was. "How do I stop it?"

"Didn't you already stop it? If you were able to get a sample…"

"There could be more," he pointed out, "and if there is, I'd like to know a quicker way to take them down."

"You'd have to ask Mr. Wayne. He has me working on the basic premise. He said he'd have a friend finish the rest of the details."

Nightwing frowned. He'd gone through the file on the batcomputer. Bruce must've been relying on his brain.

"I'll do that" he said. And he would, just as soon as he rescued Bruce's ass from wherever the hell he was.

_You're lucky I'm a nice guy, Bruce_, he thought, _or else you'd owe me… again_.

His communicator beeped, signaling that someone was trying to contact him. He put his hand to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Nightwing" Oracle's voice came through clearly.

"Yeah?"

"It's Robin. He's been spotted."

Nightwing's eyes widened slightly. "I'll be right there."

He went to the window, glancing back at Paul. "We'll be in touch."

He opened the window, allowing a cool breeze to drift into the room and ruffle some papers on the desk. Nightwing put his foot on the windowsill and looked back at Paul. "You should keep your window locked from now on." With that, he jumped out of the window and into the shadows.

**A/N: Last handwritten chapter... probably xP (Hey, I need _something_ to do during whatever free time I get at school). Not much to say on this chapter except for that Nightwing makes badass exits... he _did_ learn from the best. xD Review please! ^^**

**Ok, so I was asked to advertise this roleplay site I'm on. It's for the Teen Titans, kind of a combination of the cartoon and the comics. It could use some more members. Canons and OCs are welcomed. I play Dick Grayson and right now I believe I'm the only canon. It's a next generation site. So, check it out if you're interested. The url is werefallingfast (dot) proboards (dot) com **


	5. Star Wars

**A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed, faved, and alerted. You guys whelm me.~**

Ch. 5: Star Wars

Frank knew today was going to be a good day. It may have been the crack of dawn, with the sun just barely peeking over the horizon, but he just knew. He and his buddies were going on a road trip on their motorcycles. This gave the slightly struggling white-collar man the perfect opportunity to show off his baby. He had saved up a month's work of paychecks for her- not his brightest idea, but he was in the moment. She was beautiful and sleek. She may not have been the most expensive or fancy bike, but she outdid all of his friends' bikes.

Frank grinned proudly as he wheeled her out of his garage and into the driveway. His friends would be there soon. Today would be a good day.

"Hey, need to borrow that, sorry."

Frank watched as a young man in tights, whom he recognized slightly, appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his bike.

"But-"

He was already gone.

Frank sighed. Today was a bad day.

* * *

><p>Nightwing sped down the street on his borrowed motorcycle. "Oracle. Update."<p>

"They're on a highway that was closed for construction. Police have blockaded the street just in case. They've tried shooting at the robot, but all the bullets do are ricochet. I- hold on… Reports say the robot has disappeared… but it's still shooting at Robin. It must've gone into camouflage mode or something."

_Perfect_.

Taking every shortcut he could and breaking almost every traffic law in existence, the blockade eventually came in sight. His eyes searched for a spot to get past the police cars. There was a gap just wide enough between two police cars. He raced through it, straight past Commissioner Gordon and the police.

He watched as Robin dodged blasts that appeared to come from thin air. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to work with on this highway. Robin glanced toward him and a slight jerk of Robin's shoulder let Nightwing know that he saw him. Just as he passed Robin, he reached out and grabbed the boy's hand. He pulled and Robin used the leverage to maneuver himself onto the motorcycle.

"What took you so long, Grayson? I was beginning to become impatient" Robin called over the loud noise of the motorcycle and wind as they sped down the highway at speeds that were most definitely illegal. Nightwing swerved just in time to avoid a blast. The robot was following them.

"Alright, little Jedi, I need you to man the blasters while I fly the ship, k?"

Robin rolled his eyes, remembering when Grayson had forced him to sit down and watch that entire series of movies. He carefully shifted so that he was facing the back, with his spine pressed against Nightwing's. He tightened his grip as the bike swerved, avoiding another blast. Robin tossed a batarang, grinding his teeth when it kept flying without hitting anything.

"I can't see it," he growled, "how can I hit something I cannot see?"

Nightwing quickly took three balls out of his gauntlet. It was a good thing Bruce had taught him to always be prepared, for anything, really. He handed the objects to Robin.  
>"When you think you have sight of him, throw those at him."<p>

Robin nodded and waited. The robot sent another blast and, as Nightwing swerved, Robin threw the balls. They hit the robot, exploding on impact and covering it with pink paint. Robin smirked. Perfect. He threw another batarang and it hit the robot with a _clank_, but bounced off. Well, that had proven pointless.

"Vehicle must be disposed of" a robotic voice said, monotone. Robin watched as a red dot settled itself on the back of the motorcycle.

"Nightwing."

"Yeah, got it, time to evacuate."

Just as the robot released a blast, Nightwing grabbed the back of Robin's costume. He pulled the boy with him as he jumped off the bike. A moment later, the bike exploded as the blast hit it. In the air, Nightwing brought Robin close to him so he would take as little damage as possible. He also maneuvered so that his back would take the brunt of the impact. If only he'd also borrowed a helmet from that guy. At the speed they were going, this was going to hurt. A lot.

All of his breath left him when he hit the road. As they tumbled and rolled, he tucked his head in as much as possible and tightened his grip on Robin. He felt some of his ribs cracking and skin tearing. He was thankful for the armor he was wearing, knowing the damage could've been worse.

When they finally came to a stop, Nightwing released Robin and laid on his back for a moment. The outside of his costume, mostly his back, was torn up and he was pretty sure that he would be a walking bruise later. He let out a groan.

"Grayson, get up, the fight is not over."

He wished he could tell Robin to shut up, but the kid was right. Besides, he liked to think that Robin was mostly concerned. Blocking out the pain, Nightwing sat up. His eyes landed on the pink-painted robot that was hovering above them. The middle of the robot began to light up as it prepared a blast.

A red and blue blur slammed into the robot, bringing it crashing to the ground.

Nightwing watched as Superman stood up next to the robot. A moment later, the robot self-destructed. Superman turned and walked over to the two "birds."

"Heard there were some strange thing going on here," he explained, "thought I could be of some help."

He took Nightwing's hand and helped pull him up. He frowned when the young man winced.

Nightwing managed to grin through the pain. "Batman won't be happy."

"Batman is missing," Superman pointed out, "so he'll just have to deal with it."

"Speaking of missing…" Nightwing turned to Robin, who was gazing at the Man of Steel suspiciously. "Where have you been?"

Robin turned to Nightwing. "Father, Drake, and I were abducted by a psychopath."

There was a beat of silence as Nightwing waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, Nightwing blinked. "Ok, which one?"

Robin cast another distrusting glance at Superman before answering him. "I have not encountered him before and I do not believe Father has either."

"And Tim?"

"Oblivious as ever."

"Damian…"

Superman cut into the conversation and turned to Robin. "Do you remember where you were being held?"

"TT, of course. It is not far off."

Nightwing turned to Superman. "Can you zip to the cave real fast and grab me a new suit? And some wrapping so I can wrap my ribs."

Superman nodded. "Be back in a jiffy." He then took to the sky and flew off in a blur.

"TT, aliens."

"I'd save my voice if I were you," Nightwing warned, glancing down at him, "'Cause you're gonna explain every little detail to us."

* * *

><p>"More heroes are aware of our presence. Move to phase two."<p>

* * *

><p>Alfred didn't jump when there was a sudden gust of wind; he just continued to dust off the keys to the batcomputer. "Either you have grave news to deliver to me, or Master Dick is in need of a new suit."<p>

Superman couldn't help but grin at the butler. "The latter, thankfully."

Alfred nodded. "I laid one out to your right."

Superman quickly picked up the costume, noticing the wrapping that was laid out next to it; he picked that up as well. "Dick found Robin. He's gonna lead us to where Bruce and Tim are being held."

Alfred closed his eyes in relief for a brief moment, before turning to the Man of Steel. "Thank Heavens."

Superman opened his mouth to agree and then depart, when the screen of the computer suddenly came to life.

"This is Cat Grant, coming to you live from Metropolis, where a hoard of flying robots has appeared out of nowhere. They are currently wreaking havoc, exploding buildings and seemingly abducting civ- Ahh!" She screamed as a robot came down and grabbed her, taking her into the sky. Superman watched, torn for a moment between what he had promised the boys and the responsibility he had to his city.

"I am sure the boys will understand."

Superman nodded. Alfred was right. As usual.

* * *

><p>Barbara paused in what she was doing when she saw a communication signal coming in from Nightwing.<p>

"What's up, 'Wing?"

"I need your help."

"Fire away."

"We're gonna rescue Bats and Red right now, nut we need some assistance."

"I'll find whoever's available and send them to your location."

"Thanks. You're a life saver."

Barbara grinned. "Don't I know it."

The communication was disconnected and Barbara pulled up a window, displaying the signals of allies currently in Gotham. Barbara selected the only one that wasn't Nightwing or Robin.

"Batgirl coming to you live and onstage." Barbara heard a curse and grunt in the background.

"You busy?"

"Nah, not really."

"I need-"

"Ha! How's that for a knuckle sandwich?"- There was a pause –"Wow, that was bad. Sorry, Oracle, what do you need?"

Barbara's lips twitched. "Nightwing and Robin need your help. They're going to rescue Batman and Red Robin."

"Awesome, it's about time. Where do they want to meet?"

Barbara gave her the location.

"I'll be there in a few."

"Alright, Oracle out."

The communication closed with a light click. Oracle brought up the window of what she had been doing before Nightwing had called. It was a phone number, under the name of "Peter Jay." She bit her nail lightly, knowing that the chances of this being the person she was looking for, let alone that he was available and willing to help, weren't the greatest. She sighed and called the number anyways.

_Ring… ring… ri-_

"Who is this and how the hell did you get this number?"

Barbara sighed, knowing he'd recognize her voice. "What's the point in having a phone if no one ever calls you?"

She heard a voice in the background that was vaguely familiar question who he was talking to. The young man on the other end groaned.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't hang up on you right now, Oracle."

A small grin touched Barbara's face. "I can give you a couple, actually."

* * *

><p>"We should go now. Time is of major importance."<p>

"One minute. Then we go."

They were a few yards away from what appeared to be an office building. The property was twenty five acres- too much for a single office building. Robin was perched on the branch of a tree, while Nightwing stood by the base, hiding in a shadow.

"Oracle was obviously unable to find us any reinforcements," Robin scoffed, "not like we need any, either way."

"What's that you said, Bird Boy?" They both turned to see Batgirl approach them, smirking to herself. Robin jumped down from the branch to land beside Nightwing. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh great, it's Fatgirl."

Nightwing grabbed Robin's hood and shoved it over the boy's face. There was a grunt of indignance from him as he swatted at Nightwing's hand. Nightwing walked over to Batgirl, his movement a bit more stiff than usual, thanks to his injuries.

"Batgirl," he said with a friendly smile, "glad to have you onboard. Do you know if Oracle was able to find anyone else?"

Batgirl shook her head. "As far as I know, I'm the only other one currently in Gotham."

Nightwing nodded, before holding out the palm of his hand. "Alright, both of you, give me your communicators."

Robin did as told, while Batgirl looked at Nightwing with an eyebrow raised. Nightwing smirked slightly.

"Please" he affirmed. Batgirl grinned and complied. She didn't know why he wanted her communicator, but she was sure he had his reason. She watched as he took his own communicator and placed it on his hand, before dropping them to the ground and abruptly stepping on them. Batgirl gaped.

"Wha-?"

"We believe the robots have satellites that can track our communicators. Oracle should be sending out the memo right about now" Nightwing explained calmly. Batgirl's mouth snapped shut. Well, that made sense, she guessed. Nightwing looked up from the crushed communicators and met the eyes of his allies.

"Alright, here's the plan."

**A/N: Ok, I lied, _this_ is the last handwritten chapter, for sure this time. Why? Because it's summer time! Whoop Whoop!... Ahem, anyways, the chapters should be longer from now on. Is it just me or does every chapter so far basically end with a cool Nightwing quote? xD Well, I guess that's it. I wrote a short Jason one-shot and it would be awesome if you guys could give me feedback on that one. ^^ Tata for now. Review please! ;D**


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